Derek Hough and Wife Hayley Erbert Reveal the Meaning Behind Their Baby Girl’s Name: ‘Very Intentional’

Derek Hough and wife Hayley Erbert are sharing insight into how they chose their newborn baby girl’s name, Everley Capri.

“Everley was always at the top of a list that I had,” Erbert, 31, told People in an interview published on Wednesday, January 21. “I actually saw this post the other day that was like, ‘It’s crazy that I’ve seen your name in my notes app for so long, and now you’re here with me.’ I was like, ‘That’s exactly what it’s been.’ Her name has always had a little star by it because there were a few that we really liked.”

Erbert added that she and Hough, 40, took “four or five days” to decide on a name, and their choice ultimately came down to a gut feeling.

“[We decided] to keep staring at her and see what name calls to us,” she explained.

As for the spelling of Everley, the couple said they wanted to match the last three letters of Erbert’s own name, Hayley.

“It’s very intentional, the way we spelled it,” Hough added.

The new parents also looked into the numerology behind “Everley” after a friend encouraged them to do so and found out that it was a master number of 11. This made them feel even more confident that they chose the right moniker, as Erbert saw the number 11 “all over.”

“She was 11 days late, I’m born on October 11,” she said. “It just called to us, and we were like, ‘This is right. This is it.’”

Numerology is the belief in a mystical relationship between numbers and life events, similar to astrology.

“Whether you believe in that kind of stuff or not, it was cool,” Hough said. “When we looked at the meanings of it, it was like, ‘OK, this is beautiful. We love this.’ It felt right. It just was a feeling.”

Hough and Erbert also explained the meaning behind the middle name “Capri,” revealing that the Dancing With the Stars judge initially wanted to incorporate “rain” or “bow” in the name to honor the fact that Everley is their rainbow baby following a devastating miscarriage. However, the couple ultimately went in a different direction.

“When we threw Capri in there, we were like, ‘Oh my gosh, this is beautiful,’” Erbert said, while Hough added, “Capri is the little spicy part of her.”

Hough and Erbert, who tied the knot in 2023, announced Everley’s birth on January 5.

“December 29, 2025. Everley Capri Hough 🤍,” Derek captioned an Instagram post. “Every step of our lives has led us to you. Our hearts have been cracked wide open and our world is forever changed.”

Hough exclusively told Us Weekly on January 13 that he’s enjoying his new chapter with Erbert.

“I just feel so thankful for health and for this blessing and for this new chapter,” Hough said. “This new year is going to be filled with lots of new experiences and amplified experiences because I think that’s what love does. Even marriage — being in a relationship with your loved one – I can go do something and have an amazing experience, but when I go do something with somebody that I love, it just amplifies that experience.”